SHILLONG, MAY 10: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has rejected claims that student agitations delayed recruitment at NEHU, instead holding former Vice-Chancellor Prof PS Shukla responsible for the lapse of 154 posts.
NEHUTA President Prof Lakhon Kma issued the clarification on Sunday and said, “NEHUTA would like to refute the incorrect statements made by the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Shillong Campus Prof. S Umdor as stated by the VPP Youth Wing President, Marbud Dkhar. NEHU had advertised 14 Group B and 140 Group C posts on November 3, 2023, with the last date for hard copies on December 12, 2023. The advertisement lapsed on November 2, 2024. The hunger strike by the students which was fully supported by teachers and non-teaching staff started on 5/11/2024 and ended on 21/11/2024.”
“It was factually incorrect for the PVC to state that the recruitment process could not be completed and got lapsed due to disruption of the functioning of the university by internal unrest.”
He alleged that the posts lapsed not by agitations but by the frequent absence of the VC at that time, his complete lack of interest in the welfare of the university and complete detachment from NEHU affairs during his entire tenure.
“Between the last date i.e., 12/12/2023 and 2/11/2024, Prof. Shukla did nothing to fill the posts and Prof Umdor is trying to mislead the public. Prof Umdor is only trying to shield the total failure of the VC in completing the recruitment process for the third time.”
Prof Kma said the VPP Youth Wing was misled due to “lack of information and facts.”
He added, “I only wish that they could have done their homework properly before approaching the university authority, who will then not mislead them and the public of Meghalaya.”
NEHUTA also flagged irregularities in a separate January 22, 2024 advertisement for 11 Group A posts. “The recruitment process was completed in a hurry because of his keen interest in it,” Kma said.
He claimed that an “unqualified Deputy Registrar, Mr Amit Gupta,” was appointed and has been “unauthorizedly absent from the headquarter of NEHU for the last 540 days after barely serving for a month with no leave accrued in his account and still drawing full salary.”
“NEHU is faithfully and generously paying him salary till date and not a single show-cause letter has been issued to him in violation of Government of India-CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972 & CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965,” he said.
Kma further alleged that Prof. Shukla did not appoint a Controller of Examinations despite having “several deserving candidates including a former full time CoE,” and did not conduct interviews for Assistant Registrar posts.
“His illegitimate appointee to a self-created technical officer/senior consultant post, Mr. Rohit Prasad, in violation of UGC Model Cadre Recruitment Rules, whom he was planning to appoint as AR, was chased away by the students and stakeholders,” he said.
Reaffirming NEHUTA’s role, Kma said, “NEHUTA have always maintained itself as a watchdog of the conduct of the Vice Chancellors and other officials of the University and will continue to provide checks and balances needed for the well-being of the University.” He called on the PVC to “have the guts to call ‘a spade a spade’ and stop misleading the people of Meghalaya.”
“All problems in NEHU today are due to complete failure of Prof. P S Shukla as the VC due to his inabilities to learn the intricacies of a big and well-established Central University like NEHU, inefficiencies, narcissistic behaviour compounded by hidden agenda that became so apparent and zero attachment to NEHU,” Kma said. He also appealed to political parties: “NEHUTA would like to urge not to play politics in the university. Outside the campus, there is ample room to play politics and fight elections.”
